Trouser top finisher



Oct. 7, 1947. W BOWEN 2,428,484

TRoUsER TOP FINIS'HER Filed Feb. '25, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 2 A Tron/h BY j Patented Oct. 7, 1947 U NIT ED STAT PAT ENT OFF ICE.

TROUSER TOP FINISHER Harold W..Borven, Kansasity, Mo..

Application February 25, 1946; Serial No'. 650;()25' of the material from which the same is formed in an extended condition toreceive'steamand air.

One off the important aims Ofthis invention;- is the provisionof a trousers topnisher` having as4 a part thereof novel and unique means for: hol'd...

ing the pleats that'v are oftentimes apart'off the'- trouserstop in a folded andicreased'condtion' as.

steam is applied to the tops ofthe trousers for' the purpose of removingwrinklestherefrom said pl'eat retaining apparatus being capabl'eoffmovement to operative positions wherer the-pleatsare' engageabl'e and further, wherethe waistband of the trousers isheld taut.

Thisinvention has for'further objects the-pro-- vision of a inishingmachine kn'ownin the artras apparatus for topping trousers. and' wherein isY providedv parts for holding the trousers rwith the legs there'of inA a depending condition; wherein` is included steam nozzles and baiilesfy for confining the action of the steam andairl to the=upper portion of the trousers; and Wherein the path of travel ofthe steam' and` air: may be extended to pass through the legs of thertrousers asfweights are attachedthereto for the' purpose of`stretchi'ng the trouser legs when such an operation' is'necessary or desirable.

Other objects of the invention4 are important and will become apparent during the courseA of the following specification referring to the-accompanyi'ng drawings, wherein:

Figure 1` is a side elevational View of a trousers top finisher made -nv accordance rwiththe-present invention.

Fig'. 2 is a front elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3l is a cross'sectional View taken' on line III- III of Fig. 2 and looking in the directionV of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2' looking in the direction of the arrows.

The form of the invention chosen for' illustration comprises a unit heaterk |0- of well known type and including coils connectedto steam sup-- ply pipes IZ and' I4" extending frorrr and. to respectivelysa source of steam and'havinga control to the art of finishing` 2, valve It and aftrap ltherein. Pipes I2 and I4 supply' steam to conventional coils within unit heater Illand a motor driven fan 28 drives air' downwardly through the steam coils 22 andv through an opening or outlet port 25. Apron 24 is'securedftolthe lower side of unit heater liand partiallyfcircumscribes opening 26, as hereinafter morefullydes'cribed.

Unitheater liissupportedby a bracket 28 having connection. to any rigid Wall or pedestal 30 and whenunith-eater iiD is sodisposed. it becomes a;v carrying member forr the component' parts of the nisherz.

Elan: 2.0.: hasaf conventional electric motor (noti herezshown), controlledI by a manually manipu lable switch 32 mountedwithin convenient reach of the operator; A pair of; nozzles 3.4 depend be..

lowunit heater Ifin a position` shown clearly in Figs. I-andfZtandthese nozzles are joined to steam. supply pipe l2 by a pipe 36; condenser 38 andl valved. pipe 4D.. This pipe 40. is. in direct connection: with steam line i2. and a valve 42 is inter'. posed in pipe 36-foroperation by pedal 44. Con-Y nectionbetween pedal 44 andvalve 42 is by way of cableA 4B and when the pedal' is depressed, theva'l've' willibfe opened to allow the passage of'steam through nozzles 3-4. Apron 24 is substantiallyv arcuateV and ts into the waistband along theA backof trousers 48 When such garments are being finished'.` When the garments 48 are so posi'-v tioned,` abae 5t1 isheld in each leg of trousers This rod is secured directly toy the under side of the unit heater lill 48V by a depending rod 52.

and' baffles. 5U are removably ailxed to their supporting rods-52.1170. the. end that. the nisher may be `use'din. a` manner hereinafter described.

A bracket''i is mounted on unit heaterl l Band has arpa-ir of' stems 56 extending across the front of' unitv heaterA I0; as shown. in Fig. 3. These stems are polygonal in cross section and project tol eacln sidefof" that portion. of bracket-54" which is attached to heater I0. A bearing 58" slidably secured? to each stem 5t mounts'a foraminous` member' 60' on` eachv side of the median longi-v tudi'na'l vertical axis of the finisher.

55A andv directly' upon" the pleated portions thereof.

Each clamp B2 is spring loaded and pivotally mounted as at 64 to the upper portion of a member 60 and when clamp'62 is in the operative position, as shown in full lines of Fig. 1, its spring 66 will be to one side of the axis of pivot 64. When clamp 62 is in the inoperative position, as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1, spring 66 will be disposed to the opposite side of the axis of pivot 64.v

This past center action insures that clamp 62 Will be yieldably maintained in each of its two positions at the ends of its path of travel. A link 68 pivotally joins each bearing 58 with a head "l shown and described without departing from the 10 as shown in Fig. 2. rl`his head forms acoupling between the ends of links 68 remote fromv their points of attachment with the respective bearings 58 and when head l0 is shifted vertically,` links 68 will move bearings 58 toward and from the center of the finisher to, in turn, shift mein'- partsrassociated therewith, near the center of the finisher or as close together as the structure will permit.

.A cable 74 extends to a pedal 15 and when this pedal 16 is depressed, spring l2 will be extended and head 'lll Will be drawn downwardly to force bearings 58 apart. In this manner the members 60 may be adjusted to underlie the pleated portions of the two legs of trousers 48 and at the same time cause members 50 to cooperate with apron 24 in tightly engaging the waist band of trousers 48. When trousers 48 are applied to the nisher, the waist band is drawn over apron 24 and over the outer faces of members 6l)V and thereafter buttoned together to establish a completely closed tubular garment. When in such position, the operator will depress pedal 44 and inject steam into the tops of trousers 48 for a period of Vfrom `3 to 5 seconds. This action will cause steam to spray thro-ugh nozzles 34 and outwardly toward the walls of the trousers and While the steam valve 42 is still open, the operator should manipulate switch 32 to cause fan 20Vto direct a blast of air downwardly through outlet port 26 and into the top portion of trousers 48. The air should be left on for approximately four seconds, whereafter the steam valve 42 is closed and air allowed to continue to flow for approximately 5 seconds. This action will insure a complete finishing of the trousers top for bailies 5U will corinne the action of the steam to that length of the trousers 48 above baflles 50. The pressure from the force of air will shape the trousers after the steam has conditioned the cloth to where it can be so shaped and since the weight of the trousers 48 contributes to removing the wrinkles, the time consumed in the operation is reduced to a minimum.

In the event it becomes necessary to wash trousers 48 to remove stains due to perspiration, the iinishing of the trousers may require stretching due to the shrinkage incident to the washing operation. Under such condition, the bottoms of the legs of the trousers 48 are weighted and baffles 50 are removed by merely unscrewing the same from their threaded association with the respective rods 52. When bales 56 are removed, the trousers are iinished by the injection of steam for a desired length of time to not only remove the wrinkles from the upper portion of trousers 48 but to condition the legs of the trousers for easy creasing when the same are transferred to a pressing machine. Hand work usually required tively.

for the ironing out of the pleats at the upper portions of the legs Vof the trousers is eliminatedY and through a minimum amount of work.

Deviations may be made from the structure spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims. Y

.Having thus. described the invention, what I claim as new and desire t0 secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a trousers ilnisher of the character described, a substantially arcuate apron; a baille in spaced relation to the apronvfor each leg respectively of the trousers being iinished and positioned to extend transversely of the legs of the trousers when the latter have the waist band thereof circumscribing the apron; a rod for each baille for holding the same in said position, said baillesbeing removably fixed to Vone end of respective rods; and a nozzle having connection to a source of steam disposed adjacent to each baille respec- 2. In a tro-users iinisher of the character described, a substantially arcuate rigidly mounted apron; a baille in spaced relation to the apron OI each leg respectively of the trousers being finished and positioned to extend transversely of the legs of the trousers when the latter have the waist band thereof circumscribing the apron; a nozzle having connection to a source of steam disposed adjacent to each baille respectively, said apron being mounted in a vertical position and partially circumscribing a source of hot air under pressure; and means spaced from the apron and movable independently thereof to and from a f position for holding the waist band of the trousers in circumscribing'relation to the apron.

3. In a trousers nisher of the character described, a substantially arcuate apron; a baille in spaced relation to the apron for each leg respectively of the trousers being finished and posig tioned to extend transversely of the legs of the trousers when the latter have the waist band thereof circumscribing the apron; and a nozzle having connection to a source of steam disposed adjacent to each baille respectively, said apron being mounted in a vertical position and partially circumscribingr a source of hot air under pressure, said bailles being depended below said apron.

4. In a trousers finisher of the character described, an apron formed to receive the waist band of the trousers and disposed to cause the legs of the trousers to assume a pendulant position; means for directing heated air downwardly Y past the apron and into the trousers When the latter are on the apron; a foraminous member disposed within each leg of the trousers respectively opposite the apron; and structure mounting the said members for movement laterally with respect to the apron to draw the waist band of the trousers taut, said structure maintaining the members spaced from the apron throughout their paths of travel.

5. In a trousers nisher of the character described, an apron formed to receive the waist band of the trousers and disposed to cause the legs `of the trousers to assume a pendulant position; means for directing heated air downwardly past the apron and into the trousers when the latter are on the apron; a. foraminous member disposed within each leg of the trousers respectively opposite the apron; and structure mounting the said members for movement in directions to draw the waist band of the trousers taut, said members each having a swingable clamp on one side thereof to engage the portions of the trousers overlying the members.

6. In a trousers nisher of the character described, an apron formed to receive the waist band of the trousers and disposed to cause the legsof the trousers to assume a pendulant position; means for directing heated air downwardly past the apron and into the trousers when the latter are on the apron; a foraminous member disposed within each leg of the trousers respectively opposite the apron; and structure mounting the said members for movement in directions to draw the waist band of the trousers taut, said members being movable toward and from each other and having manually manipulable apparatus for so shitting the members from a normal position.

7. In a trousers finisher of the character described, an apron formed to receive the waist band of the trousers and disposed to cause the legs of the trousers to assume a pendulant position; means for directing heated air downwardly past the apron and into the trousers when the latter are on the apron; a foraminous member disposed within each leg of the trousers respectively opposite the apron; and structure mounting `the said members for movement in directions to draw the waist band of the trousers taut, said members having means for yeldably holding the same in a normal position and manually manipulable apparatus for shifting the members from said normal position.

HAROLD W. BOWEN.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Egleston Apr. 18, 1876 Number 

